K.G. Munro Author Interview

Today, I’m excited to have K.G. Munro here to chat about her debut novel, A Suitcase to South Korea. If you haven’t heard of this novel, here is the description:

In a twist of fate, Autumn Willows, an author from Canada, gets her luggage mixed up with Korea’s top K-pop idol Taeyang Chan, the arrogant leader of Dark Star Seven. They have to work together to retrieve the manuscript from stalker fans who have stolen it and other forces that come along to stop them.

Let’s jump right into the interview!

Author Interview with K.G. Munro

Eliza: You’ve been writing poetry for a while—what inspired you to transition into writing a novel, and why did you choose contemporary romance as your debut genre?

K.G.: Well, I’ve always had a resonance with poetry but the transition to novel writing was inspired by a dream I had over the course of three nights. I felt compelled to write it. I chose contemporary romance because after I was finished writing the story that is what it naturally fell into.

Eliza: A Suitcase to South Korea has such a fun and unique premise. How did the idea for this story come about? 

K.G.: Thank you firstly, I’d like to think that despite the darker elements the book is fun at heart. Like I said previously, the plot came to me in a dream. I honestly believe I was meant to write this, as daft as that may sound, and the characters naturally entered into each chapter as I wrote the story. 

Eliza: The novel features a K-pop idol as one of the main characters. Are you a fan of K-pop, and did any real-life idols influence the character of Taeyang Chan? 

K.G.: Yes, I’ve been listening to KPOP since my adolescence. There wasn’t a specific idol that inspired Taeyang, he is just how I imagined he would be given his lifestyle and what I know to be true about how idols are treated in South Korea. 

Eliza: What was the most exciting part of bringing A Suitcase to South Korea to life, and what challenges did you face as a first-time novelist?

K.G.: The most exciting part was getting it out of my head and into a physical book. The challenges I faced were both personal and professional. I fell into a severe bout of depression when I started writing it in 2021, so had to stop completely. Throughout the three years, I wrote bits and pieces but it was when I talked to someone that I love a great deal about it they gave me the spark I needed to complete the book. Professionally I had pitched it to agents between those three years and had been rejected, sometimes quite brutally. However, I believe in my work so as hurtful as it was, I kept going. 

Eliza: How did your experience as a poet influence your writing style in the novel? Did you find any similarities between writing poetry and fiction? 

K.G.: Throughout the book you’ll find imagery, alliteration, and other techniques I use in my poetry. So, in that sense my poetry has influenced the book. I think when it comes to poetry and fiction generally, both tell a story but just use a different means to do so. 

Eliza: Many authors say that publishing their first book is a huge learning experience. What has been the most surprising part of the publishing journey for you?   

K.G.: The most surprising aspect is how much goes into creating a book, down to the margin spacing, all of these aspects determine a books success or failure. 

Eliza: Romance can be a deeply personal genre to write—what do you hope readers take away from A Suitcase to South Korea?

K.G.: That when love between two people is real, it will endure and even if it takes a while, it will prevail. 

Eliza: Now that you’ve published your first book, do you see yourself continuing with fiction? Can we expect more novels in the future?

K.G.: I have a multitude of novel ideas and first chapters written.  All of my novels that I will publish are going to be fiction, even if the subgenres are various, but periodically I’ll be releasing poetry books too. 

Learn More About K.G. Munro

K. G. Munro Website: KGMunro – Medium

Social Media:K.G. Munro (@k.g._munro) • Instagram photos and videos

Buy Links:

A Suitcase To South Korea: Amazon.co.uk: Munro, K G: 9781835383100: Books

A Suitcase To South Korea by K G Munro | Waterstones

A Suitcase To South Korea by KG Munro – Booked & Hooked